Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to build a processing plant for energy crops and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Ross Finnie: No. Any plan for the construction and operation of a processing plant for energy crops is a commercial decision for those in the renewables industry and agriculture sector to consider. The Executive does not enter into commercial ventures of this nature.

Asylum Seekers

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle prejudice and crime against asylum seekers.

Ms Margaret Curran: We are taking forward a range of initiatives to tackle racial prejudice, wherever it occurs. This includes:

  over £2.9 million in 2003-04 to implement the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan announced by me on 19 February;

  a £750,000 funding package for integration work across Glasgow city announced by me on 10 February for Glasgow communities supporting asylum seekers and refugees, and

  the Executive’s anti-racism campaign, One Scotland. Many Cultures launched in September 2002 to raise public awareness of racist attitudes and behaviour and the negative impact this has on individuals and society more generally.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into communities.

Ms Margaret Curran: Considerable progress has already been made with the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into communities. The implementation of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan, published on 19 February, will continue this progress and make a real difference to the lives of refugees wherever they settle.

Cancer

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to monitor the impact of the Involving People programme on cancer patients' experience in the year ahead.

Malcolm Chisholm: As part of the patient and public involvement programme all NHS boards are required to develop a plan for sustainable patient and public involvement which will be evaluated and supported by the Scottish Executive Health Department.

  For cancer services, regional cancer networks submit regular progress reports on the implementation of Cancer in Scotland including patient/public involvement. This work is in its early stages and progress is variable across the country. Regional monitoring reports which provide more detail are available from the Cancer in Scotland website:

  www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/cancerinscotland/.

Cancer

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the patient focus and public involvement agenda will build on the activity and experience of cancer support groups and organisations.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s patient focus and public involvement framework aims to achieve a patient-focused health service where people are treated as individuals and where individuals, groups and communities are involved in improving the quality of care, influencing priorities and in planning services.

  Patient focus and involvement is at the heart of Cancer in Scotland. There are a variety of dedicated cancer support groups and organisations working throughout the country. The important on-going contribution of the voluntary sector in this area is valued. Patients and carers are involved centrally and across cancer networks to ensure that their views are integral to planning and decision making in cancer services.

Communities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support improvement of the urban environment.

Des McNulty: A range of Executive policies is delivering real improvement in Scotland’s towns and cities. In Glasgow, the 80,000 tenants transferring from council to community ownership will benefit from a £1.6 billion pound investment in warm, dry homes over the next 10 years. In Edinburgh, nearly £50 million is being invested in improving transport links in the city and its surrounding region. And across Scotland over 2,000 CCTV cameras and related community safety initiatives are reducing crime and the fear of crime in our urban streets.

Credit Unions

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research was undertaken to ensure best value in encouraging growth in the credit union and community banking movement.

Des McNulty: The aim of the Scottish Executive’s support for credit unions is to remove barriers to credit union growth and ensure credit unions have access to support and development services. To date, the Executive’s funding is providing support through compliance training, health checks and business planning. Funding has also been provided for capacity building that will help credit unions to extend their membership and the services they offer. We are currently monitoring the outcomes of the Executive’s investment. To inform the next phase of the Executive’s work, we have funded the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to carry out research on credit union IT capacity. This has been made available to the Scottish Credit Union Partnership. Executive funded research will begin shortly looking at volunteer training needs with a summary of research findings to be published in the Scottish Executive Social Research Series at www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch in June 2003.

  A Community Banking initiative currently exists in Wester Hailes. This was originally supported with a Pathfinder grant from the Scottish Executive. Communities Scotland is currently undertaking an evaluation of this model which will look at the potential of replicating it in other areas.

  Communities Scotland is currently supporting Capital City Partnership’s Edinburgh-wide financial inclusion strategy which aims to co-ordinate financial inclusion work across Edinburgh’s Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP). Part of this support funds the production of a baseline study which will establish the nature and scale of financial exclusion in Edinburgh SIPs and help develop local solutions

  In the North and East of Scotland, Communities Scotland is supporting a consortium of housing associations who are currently undertaking a feasibility study to inform the development of a joint financial inclusion project. This will include looking to identify the demand for a community banking facility.

Culture

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Arts Council’s Youth Music Audit will be published and when it will respond to the report.

Dr Elaine Murray: The publication of the report is a matter for the Scottish Arts Council and its commissioning partners. Ministers will respond after considering the report and the council's associated proposals.

Education

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Dundee City Council to discuss proposals for investment in city schools.

Cathy Jamieson: Dundee City Council’s proposals for investment in city schools through a public private partnership were discussed at a meeting between officials of the Scottish Executive and the council on 7 January 2003.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who was consulted on its draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many submissions to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill were received and from whom they were received.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long participants had to provide submissions to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many submissions to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill recommended that the Record of Needs be (a) replaced and (b) reformed.

Cathy Jamieson: The draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill was published for consultation on 17 January 2003. The consultation runs until 28 March 2003 and responses can be sent in writing or by e-mail. Over 7,000 copies of the draft bill have been distributed to education authorities, social work services, health officials, head teachers, parents, voluntary and other organisations. It is also available on the internet, including Parentzone, the website for parents of school age children. In addition, the Scottish Executive is running a programme of 14 seminars across Scotland, with 1,800 places, to further encourage responses to the consultation. Focus groups are being arranged with specific interests groups and children are also being consulted.

Elections

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage greater voter participation in the elections in May 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Electoral Commission, which is independent, has responsibility for running the public awareness campaign for the Scottish Parliament elections. The Scottish Executive has this responsibility with regard to local elections as these fall outside the remit of the commission.

  The Executive is working with the Electoral Commission on a joint campaign to encourage greater voter participation. The detail of the joint campaign is being finalised.

Europe

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what reductions in decision-making powers it would experience if the current draft text of the new European constitution were adopted by the European Union.

Mr Jim Wallace: The functions of Scottish ministers are set out in the Scotland Act 1998 and subordinate legislation under that act. There is currently little draft treaty text available from the Praesidium of the Convention on the Future of Europe on the division of competences between member states - including devolved administrations - and the European Union. The Scottish Executive will, however, carefully assess any potential implications for the decision-making powers of Scottish ministers as soon as firm proposals for the division of competences come forward. Ministers will work with the UK Government as necessary to ensure that the proposals for treaty text coming out of the Convention are in the interests of Scotland and have proper regard for existing constitutional arrangements in the UK.

Fireworks

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made towards introducing a licensing scheme for the vendors of fireworks.

Mr Andy Kerr: I met Melanie Johnson, Consumer Protection Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry, at the end of last year to discuss the irresponsible sale and use of fireworks. Further to this I have had discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to determine their views. I will be writing to councils drawing their attention to the good practice for local authorities identified in COSLA’s report on fireworks.

  The Scottish Executive has welcomed the introduction of Bill Tynan's Private Member’s Bill at Westminster which contains a range of new powers to control fireworks sale and use. The bill is expected to receive its second reading on 28 February. The UK Government is supporting the bill, and I am in close contact with them, and Bill Tynan, about the application of the bill’s provisions to Scotland.

Genealogy

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the maintenance of gravestones and to safeguard them as a source of historical and genealogical information.

Dr Elaine Murray: I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Responsibility for the maintenance of gravestones lies with their owners. On the advice of Historic Scotland, significant graveyards and gravestones are given legal protection through listing or scheduling, as appropriate. Any proposals affecting listed structures or scheduled monuments should normally be the subject of listed building or scheduled monument consent unless there are over-riding public safety considerations. The condition of scheduled monuments is monitored by Historic Scotland’s Monument Wardens. In addition, Historic Scotland has commissioned research which had led to two publications – Conservation of Historic Graveyards – A Guide for Practitioners and The Carved Stones of Scotland: A guide to Helping in their Protection, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 26560 and 26559 respectively). Historic Scotland is also providing financial support, through the Council for Scottish Archaeology, for a development officer working with community groups and cemetery managers to promote best practice in the recording and management of graveyards and gravestones.

General Practitioners

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP referrals to consultants there have been in the Grampian NHS Board area in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The specific information requested is not yet available centrally. However, an approximation for the number of referrals from GPs can be obtained from centrally held data relating to first out-patient appointments. Figures are shown in the following table for the number of consultant-led out-patient appointments for Grampian residents referred by a GP in years ending March 1998 to March 2002. These figures exclude appointments where patients did not attend. Many patients who did not attend will be offered and attend subsequent appointments and these subsequent appointments will be counted in the figures in the table. Patients who did not attend and were not offered subsequent appointments because, for example, their condition had improved and they no longer required treatment, are not counted in these figures. The number of such patients is not known so the figures in the table will undercount the total number of referrals.

  First Out-Patient Appointments: Grampian Residents Referred by a GP

  
 Year Ending 31 March
No. of Appointments1 
1998 84,967 
1999 84,591 
2000 86,506 
2001 82,128 
2002 81,604 

  Source: ISD Scotland, SMR00.

  Note:

  1. Referrals by GPs only. Excludes appointments where patients did not attend.

  Data from the GP practices themselves is being developed under the Electronic Clinical Communication Implementation Programme (ECCI). In future this will allow us to track the number of referrals as they are made by the GPs.

Health

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in promoting patients’ rights in the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: Substantial progress is being made in promoting patients’ rights. Further proposals will be detailed in the forthcoming health white paper and the consultation papers on the Patients' Charter and the Scottish Health Council.

Health Promotion

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Executive will encourage healthy eating in schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: Yesterday we announced that we would implement in full the Expert Panel on School Meal’s recommendations. In addition, all primary 1 and 2 pupils will receive free fresh fruit.

Health Promotion

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting healthy eating.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is promoting healthy eating through implementation of the Scottish Diet Action Plan (1996). This work includes initiatives such the healthy living campaign and development of nutritional standards for school meals.

Health Promotion

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in improving the provision of breakfast services to children, particularly in deprived areas.

Ms Margaret Curran: Following a review of breakfast services, the Breakfast Services Grant has been increased from £250,000 to £300,000 and will be awarded through the Scottish Community Diet Project who will distribute the grant in deprived communities, working in partnership with local authorities.

Hospices

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides for the establishment of hospices.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: We would support any new hospice which fits with the palliative care strategy of the local NHS board. NHS boards are generally expected to meet 50% of hospice running costs.

Joint Ministerial Committees

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what Joint Ministerial Committees have been set up since the Memorandum of Understanding was endorsed by the Parliament on 7 October 1999 and on how many occasions the overarching Joint Ministerial Committee and each of the specific sub-committees have met.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) has met in plenary on three occasions.

  Joint Ministerial sub-committees have been established on health, poverty, knowledge economy and Europe. The JMC (health) sub-committee has met on five occasions; JMC (poverty) sub-committee has met on three occasions; JMC (knowledge economy) sub-committee has met twice, and JMC (Europe) sub-committee has met on seven occasions

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what value of, fines were written off in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information available is given in the following tables. The values of district court fines remitted are not held centrally. The system for writing off sheriff court fines changed in the course of the year 2001-02. Fines due for write off in 2001-02 were not written off until after the end of the financial year and so will be included in the data for 2002-03.

  Fines Written Off in the Sheriff Courts, 1999-2000 to 2000-01

  
 
1999-2000 2000-01
 No. of Fines
Value (£) No. 
of Fines Value (£)
 Aberdeen 
84  21,615 
 51
 10,680   Airdrie
71  15,575 
 49
 11,823   Alloa
8  977 
6  540 
 Arbroath
29  9,063 
 23
 6,364   Ayr
64 22,053 
 71
 21,782   Banff
3  506 
2  490 
 Campbeltown
12  3,609 
 19
 6,286   Cupar
4  850 
1  250 
 Dingwall
53  5,812 
 39
 5,393   Dornoch
3  553 
3  375 
 Dumbarton
60  11,800 
 49
 8,920   Dumfries
56  9,944 
 36
 7,140   Dundee
60  10,446 
 73
 16,262   Dunfermline
24  6,098 
 25
 6,409   Dunoon
6  639 
6  1,860 
 Duns -
 -  4
 1,990   Edinburgh
329  67,576 
 222
 75,948   Elgin
25  9,455 
 12
 2,481   Falkirk
142  34,215 
 74
 25,760   Forfar
-  - 
-  - 
 Fort William
4  1,429 
4  1,085 
 Glasgow
339  64,255 
 391
 109,678   Greenock
73  19,409 
 23
 5,145   Haddington
-  - 
8  2,756 
 Hamilton
336  91,848 
 128
 26,684   Inverness
30  7,390 
 9
 1,701   Jedburgh
5  817 
10  1,620 
  Kilmarnock
40  11,875 
 47
 9,962   Kirkcaldy
3  1,957 
17  3,525 
  Kirkcudbright
10  1,910 
 3
 1,155   Kirkwall
4  1,275 
-  - 
 Lanark
17  8,124 
 5
 3,260   Lerwick
5  1,275 
1  170 
 Linlithgow
81  16,827 
 63
 17,325   Lochmaddy
1  55 
1  200 
 Oban 4
 2,017  8
 2,877   Paisley
188  49,370 
 120
 33,943   Peebles
-  - 
-  - 
 Perth 23
 4,469  21
 5,330   Peterhead
5  1,040 
5  1,733 
 Portree
-  - 
2  400 
 Rothesay
1  150 
-  - 
 Selkirk
1  60 
5  427 
 Stirling
21  2,988 
 13
 5,416   Stonehaven
9  3,865 
6  845 
 Stornoway
1  450 
4  856 
 Stranraer
27  7,509 
 22
 6,365   Tain
4  953 
8  2,140 
 Wick 2
 380  2
 255   Scotland
2,267  532,481 
 1,691
 455,604  

  District Court Fines1 Remitted by Court, 1999-2000 to 2001-02

  
  1999-2000
2000-01 2001-02
  Fully 
or Partly Remitted Fully Remitted
Partly Remitted Fully 
Remitted Partly Remitted
 Aberdeen City
 146   33 
  26 
 94   17 
 Aberdeenshire
 61   28 
 21   79 
 31   Angus
 27   6 
 15   5 
 10   Argyll and 
Bute  162 
 60   25 
 54   22 
 Clackmannanshire
 12   1 
 2   3 
 4   Dumfries and 
Galloway  28 
 -   12 
 11   6 
 Dundee City
 38   25 
 69   30 
 -   East Ayrshire
 116   13 
  8 
 68   37 
 East Dunbartonshire
 16   6 
 5   5 
 2   East Lothian
 -   5 
 1   2 
 1   East Renfrewshire
 -   2 
 3   - 
 -   Edinburgh, 
City of  408 
 N/A   N/A 
  240 
 38   Eilean Siar
 -   19 
 -   N/A 
 N/A   Falkirk
 42   14 
 10   11 
 6   Fife2
 225   117 
  38 
 137   42 
  Glasgow City 
 385   141 
  40 
 43   39 
 Highland
 180   125 
  103 
 19   18 
 Inverclyde
 31   23 
 9   31 
 19   Midlothian
 2   5 
 -   12 
 5   Moray
 2   1 
 -   19 
 1   North Ayrshire
 59   13 
 36   24 
 36   North Lanarkshire3
 425   250 
  10 
 645  (4)
 Perth and Kinross
 80   126 
  57 
 79   N/A 
  Renfrewshire
 255   143 
  129 
 49   57 
 Scottish Borders
 41   5 
 1   5 
 3   South Ayrshire
 2   6 
 2   44 
 46   South Lanarkshire
 106   41 
  36 
 21   7 
 Stirling
 32   40 
 7   N/A 
 N/A   West Dunbartonshire
 436   55 
  26 
 22   22 
 West Lothian
 36   154 
  4 
 154   6 
 Scotland
 3,353   1,457 
  695 
 1,906   475 
 

  Notes:

  1. For some courts other types of fine (e.g. registered fines/compensation orders) are included as not separately identifiable.

  2. 2001-02: Fife figures are for Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy only, N/A for Cupar.

  3. 2000-01: North Lanarkshire figures are for Coatbridge only.

  4. Included with fines fully remitted.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued regarding the treatment of perinatal mental illness.

Malcolm Chisholm: Four key sets of guidance have issued concentrating on the earliest possible detection and best care responses for mother, child and wider family. All are available in the Parliament’s reference Centre:

  The 1996 Working Group on Maternity Services guidance on detection and early intervention, (Bib. number 26494), the March 1999 guidance on pre- and postnatal depression services, (Bib. number 24358), the October 2001 advice on the contribution to be made through psychological interventions (Bib. number 23704) and the management of Postnatal Depression and Puerperal Psychosis, (Bib. number 25439) published in June 2002 by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network offering advice based on a review of the latest evidence.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many women have been diagnosed with a perinatal mental illness in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information is not available centrally in the form requested. While some discharge data is available there are concerns over accuracy. Indications are that some admissions are recorded as for depression or other psychosis, rather than specifically for perinatal depression or psychosis. Work continues to improve the accuracy of data collection.

  Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Specialties1 with a Diagnosis2 of Postnatal Depression or Puerperal Psychosis

  
 Years Ending 31 March
Postnatal Depression
Puerperal Psychosis 
1998 35
16  1999
32 12
 2000 14
13  2001
29 9
 2002 Provisional
28 15


  Source: ISD SMR04 Linked Database.

  Notes:

  1. The number of patients with a diagnosis of postnatal depression or puerperal psychosis (separately) discharged in each financial year. Individual patients may be counted separately in each year.

  2. Patients with a diagnosis of postnatal depression or puerperal psychosis in any one of six possible diagnoses on discharge.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have been recorded as a result of perinatal mental illness in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Deaths due to perinatal mental illness have not been recorded by the General Register Office for Scotland during the period.

  The most recent Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom 1997-1999, which records information on causes of maternal deaths occurring during pregnancy and immediately thereafter, reports 42 deaths as attributable to psychiatric causes. The report is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18324).

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many women have been admitted to adult psychiatric wards with their babies due to perinatal mental illness in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to research into best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental illness.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office within the Scottish Executive Health Department is investing £133,302 in a research project on the diagnosis of perinatal mental illness in women and their partners   and is contributing £45,827 to a research fellowship into the treatment of postnatal depression. I would be pleased to receive further quality research applications on perinatal mental illness for peer and committee review.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1F-2474 by the First Minister on 6 February 2003, whether the use of the quotation contained in that answer, taken from an article of mine in The Herald on 22 October 2001, and intended to show support for the stance taken by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on the national theatre and its funding, was complete without including the next sentence in the article, "But, equally, to invest in existing theatre and leave the national theatre plan hanging in the air where it has been for the past decade or more would indicate no ambition for Scottish arts and culture and no commitment to making progress", and whether the use of the quotation in that manner by the First Minister was contrary to the founding principles of the Parliament.

Patricia Ferguson: The use of quotations in answers to parliamentary questions, in debates and in speeches is a perfectly legitimate practice.

Planning

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to update its policy on planning agreements between developers and local authorities made under section 50 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 and set out in Scottish Office Development Department Circular 12/1996.

Des McNulty: The Executive has no specific plans at present to amend the policy on planning agreements as set out in the Scottish Office Development Department Circular 12/1996.

  As a result of the consolidation of planning legislation, the provisions on planning agreements are now covered by section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Planning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been referred to its Inquiry Reporters Unit in each year since 1999 in the (a) Hamilton North and Bellshill and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency.

Des McNulty: While information is not held centrally on a parliamentary constituency basis, the following table provides a breakdown of figures on a local authority basis.

  
 Year (1 April to 31 March)
South Lanarkshire North 
Lanarkshire East Ayrshire
 1999-2000
4 8
1  2000-01
4 4
0  2001-02
1 3
0  2002 to date
1 3
0

Planning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33400 by Des McNulty on 5 February 2003, how many of the planning permission appeals in each category were in the (a) Hamilton North and Bellshill and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudon parliamentary constituency.

Des McNulty: The information requested is not held on a parliamentary constituency basis. The relevant planning authorities are North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire. The following tables therefore show the number of planning permission appeals determined by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) and the number successful for each of the business years since 1999, in respect of each of these planning authorities.

  1. North Lanarkshire


Planning Permission Appeals Decided
Number Successful %
 1.4.99 to 31.3.00
12 3
25%  1.4.00 to 
31.3.01 23
12 52%
 1.4.01 to 31.3.02
22 9
41%  1.4.02 to 
31.12.02 (part year) 17
6 35%


  2. South Lanarkshire

  
  Planning 
Permission Appeals Decided Number 
Successful % 
1.4.99 to 31.3.00 28
10 36%
 1.4.00 to 31.3.01
37 12
32%  1.4.01 to 
31.3.02 25
11 44%
 1.4.02 to 31.12.02 (part year)
21 10
48% 

  3. East Ayrshire

  
  Planning 
Permission Appeals Decided Number 
Successful % 
1.4.99 to 31.3.00 10
5 50%
 1.4.00 to 31.3.01
13 7
54%  1.4.01 to 
31.3.02 24
10 42%
 1.4.02 to 31.12.02 (part year)
13 5
38%

Population

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to address any imbalance in the age of the population in the Scottish Borders.

Lewis Macdonald: The latest projections issued by the Registrar General for Scotland show that the population in the Borders area, as well as in Scotland in general, is expected to decline slightly over the long term. There is a projected increase in the proportion of older people, with the largest percentage increase among the very old and a fall in the proportion of younger age groups.

  The Executive believes that a growing population, with a highly skilled and motivated workforce, will help the Scottish Economy. Measures that contribute to a sustainable Scotland, now and in the future, include those that support people of all ages in participating and contributing as learners, workers, carers, parents and volunteers.

  In addition, we have worked in collaboration with the enterprise networks and Scottish Development International on a number of initiatives to link Scottish businesses with successful Scots now living overseas and to attract those with appropriate skills to live and work in Scotland.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has had with HM Prison Service with regard to HM Prison and Young Offenders Institution Ashfield and, in particular, the management of the institution.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS has discussions with HM Prison Service, covering a range of issues, but not normally the management of individual establishments.

Public Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what net increase there has been in bus services across Scotland since May 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: Data on the number of bus services in Scotland is not held centrally. Statistics from the Department for Transport, however, indicate a growth in bus passenger numbers on local bus services from 434 million in 1999-2000 to 441 million in 2001-02.

Rail Network

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Strathclyde Passenger Transport, Network Rail and the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the Larkhall to Milngavie rail link since January 2003.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has been in regular and close touch with Network Rail, the Strategic Rail Authority, and Strathclyde Passenger Transport who are the promoters of the link from Larkhall to Milngavie.

Road Safety

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what further action it will take to improve road safety on the A84 and A85 trunk roads.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32803 on 14 January 2003. In addition, the Scottish Executive undertakes an annual analysis of trunk road accidents in order to identify sites where appropriate treatment would be expected to improve road safety. This analysis is currently under way.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new miles of trunk road have been constructed since May 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested, for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01, is given in Chapter 5 paragraph 3.6, and table number 5.3 of Scottish Transport Statistics No. 21 , a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23316). Figures for the year to March 2002 will be published in Scottish Transport Statistics No. 22 later this year.

Roads

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the status is of the Draft Route Action Plan Firm Strategy Report for the A77: Ayr to Stranraer , submitted to the Scottish Office by South Ayrshire Council in 1997 at the Scottish Office's request and why the report has not been published.

Lewis Macdonald: The Draft Route Action Plan Firm Strategy Report (RAP) for the A77: Ayr to Stranraer was submitted to the then National Roads Directorate in 1997, but it has not been formally ratified and has, therefore, not been published. Several schemes arising from the RAP have, however, been implemented.

Royal Engagements

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a letter from Associated British Ports (ABP) about the publicity and public relations for the visit to Troon of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on 30 October 2002 in connection with the centenary of the sailing of the vessel Scotia to the Antarctic and, if so, what response it has made, or plans to make; whether one of its officials advised ABP to leave the matter of publicity to the Executive; whether the visit received sufficient publicity, and what its position is on the concerns of ABP regarding the adequacy of the publicity that the visit received.

Mr Jim Wallace: Associated British Ports (ABP) has not written to the Scottish Executive about this matter. A representative of ABP telephoned the Scottish Executive shortly before the visit to request accreditation for its photographer. This request was granted and the standard conditions for use of host photographers at royal engagements were explained. This was the only aspect of media coverage discussed with ABP.

  I am satisfied that the Scottish Executive carried out its role fully and in accordance with normal operational procedures for royal engagements.

School Meals

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the provision of school meals.

Cathy Jamieson: I announced yesterday that all of the recommendations of the Expert Panel on School Meals have been accepted. We are making £57.5 million available over the next three years to implement these recommendations.

  In addition, we are setting up a scheme to provide free fruit to pupils in primaries 1 and 2. £2 million per annum will be provided each year over the next three years.

School Transport

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether fare-paying bus passengers should be allowed to access school bus services if the local authority does not provide a chaperon to accompany the children.

Lewis Macdonald: While the law does not allow fare-paying adults to access services that operate exclusively as school buses, they may use joint local bus/school bus services. In such circumstances, in meeting their statutory obligations to provide free transport to schools for entitled pupils, the local authority must have regard to the pupils’ safety.

Schools

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of any reductions in local authority budgets for snow clearing on the number of weather-related school closures.

Mr Andy Kerr: No such assessment has been made.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of printing, publishing and distributing Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force Annual Report: Achievements 2002 .

Iain Gray: The cost of publishing and printing the Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force Annual Report: Achievements 2002 was £4,400, and was met in full by Jobcentre Plus. The Scottish Executive distributed the majority of the reports through its internal courier system. External posting costs amounted to approximately £150.

Scottish Executive Staff

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4038 by Mr Jack McConnell on 11 February 2000, how many full-time equivalent members of staff have been employed by it and each executive agency and associated departments in each year since 1 April 1999 and how many members of staff have transferred to the Scotland Office since its formation.

Mr Andy Kerr: The full-time equivalent of permanent staff employed in the main departments in each year between 1 April 1999 and 1 February 2003 in The Scottish Office and Scottish Executive are set out in the following table.

  In the past four years, the definition of the core Scottish Executive (Scottish Office) has changed with movements of responsibilities into and out of the Office/Executive. The figures shown in the table have been backdated as far as possible for comparison purposes. The main changes to note are HM Inspectorate of Education became an agency in 2001, resulting in 150 staff transferring from the core Education Department. The Food Standards Agency was created in 2001 and assumed responsibility in Scotland from the core Environment and Rural Affairs Department (40 staff). Communities Scotland became an agency in 2001 (380 staff) and in 2002 a new agency, Accountant in Bankruptcy (80 staff), was created.

  Scottish Executive/Office, Agencies and Associated Departments

  Full-time Equivalent Permanent Staff

  April 1999 to February 2003

  

1 Apr 1999 1 
Apr 2000 1 Apr 2001
1 Apr 2002 1 
Feb 2003  Scottish Executive/Office
3,366.7 3,634.3
3,823.5 4,122.6
4,272.5 
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
1,065.8 1,117.1
1,162.9 1,251.7
1,364.5  Agencies 
and Associated Departments 
Accountant in Bankruptcy 82.0
78.0 81.3
86.9 79.7
 Fisheries Research Service
256.5 254.9
275.3 305
321.7  HMI 
Education 148.8
143.5 152.4
160.6 150.5
 Student Awards Agency for Scotland
126.8 122.8
136.3 137.2
130.1  Scottish 
Agricultural Science Agency 114.3
128.4 130.7
138.8 136.9
 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
274.9 270.5
257 259.5
262.0  Scottish 
Public Pensions Agency 139.5
156.3 169.5
162.3 236.1
 Communities Scotland
417.5 414.0
428.0 386.0
379.5  Historic 
Scotland 680.0
690.0 644.4
671.9 718.7
 Scottish Prison Service
4,820.0 4,698.0
4,475.5 4,439.9
4,484.2 
Scottish Court Service 830.0
841.0 868.0
941.9 942.2
 General Register Office for Scotland
214.4 234.3
233.4 230.1
214.7  National 
Archive of Scotland 114.2
120.8 122.4
132.3 148.2
 Registers of Scotland
1,130.0 1,280.0
1,260.0 1,270.7
1,343.3 

  Note:

  102.9 staff are on loan to the Scotland Office.

Scottish Executive Staff

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13081 by Angus Mackay on 28 March 2001, how many members of staff have been employed in its Media and Communications Group in each year since 2001, broken down into press officers, support for press office, publicity officers, internal communications, support for internal communications, forward planning, support for forward planning and any other staff type.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the current staffing levels and make up of the group is available via the Scottish Executive Business directory. The following table shows the number of staff employed, (by areas requested), in the Scottish Executive’s Media and Communications Group on 1 January 2002. The operational structure of the Media and Communications Group is currently being looked at through a Best Value Review, which is designed to promote continuous improvement and efficiency.

  
 Year  1 
Jan 2002  Press Officers 
44  Support for 
Press Office/Publicity  12
 Publicity Officers 
4  Internal Communications 
 0 
Support for Internal Communications  0
 Forward Planning 
3  Support for 
Forward Planning  1
 Brix Team
2  Web Team
3  Media Monitoring 
Unit 3 
Total Number of MCG staff  72


  Note:

  Figures are calculated on a full-time equivalent basis.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the allocation of £126 million has been paid by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency from the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds surplus in ex-gratia payments to former members of the pension schemes and to how many former members such payments have been made.

Lewis Macdonald: By 14 February, first-tranche payments totalling £78.5 million had been made to 11,334 former members of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes.

Social Inclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inclusiveness projects there are in the (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area and how much funding has been allocated to each such project.

Iain Gray: The Pan Highlands and Islands inclusiveness project includes the Argyll and Bute area. Of the overall allocation to this project, Argyll and Bute was awarded £357,670 by the Scottish Executive for the period April 2001 to March 2004.

  The West Dunbartonshire local authority area is included within the Dumbarton and Lomond inclusiveness project. Scottish Executive funding of £594,500 was awarded to this project for the period April 2001 to March 2004.

Sport

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will decide in which city the new indoor football and sporting complex will be located.

Dr Elaine Murray: We are currently considering the report from the consultants commissioned by sport scotland to review their property portfolio and examine the scope for possible indoor and outdoor facilities that will be a focus for the development of selected sports. I hope to make an announcement soon about how we propose to take this forward.

Street Lighting

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will install lighting at the A9/A99 junction at Latheron cemetery.

Lewis Macdonald: Funds for minor schemes for the current three-year programme (2002-05) are fully committed. Any new improvement schemes such as a lighting scheme at the A9/A99 junction at Latheron cemetery will be considered as part of a future programme.

Teachers

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the procedures used by local authorities in relation to disciplining, removing or transferring head teachers.

Nicol Stephen: The discipline, removal or transfer of head teachers are matters for education authorities as employers. The Scottish Executive does not monitor the procedures involved.

Teachers

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the procedures for disciplining, removing or transferring head teachers are uniform throughout Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers agreed a revised disciplinary framework for teachers on 27 November 2002. The precise details of disciplinary procedures are matters for education authorities within the context of that agreement.

Waste Management

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28163 by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2002, what action it is taking to reduce littering and flytipping.

Ross Finnie: Currently, the Scottish Executive provides annual core funding of £234,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful which runs a number of anti-litter initiatives. Over the last year, additional funding of £900,000 has been allocated to support elements of this programme.

  As part of the Executive’s Quality of Life Initiative, £95 million was allocated to local authorities this year, and a further £180 million has been provided over the next three years, in addition to regular annual funding. These additional resources were made available to fund local initiatives that will improve the local environment and quality of life. Around £3 million of this year's allocation has been committed to litter reduction schemes. In addition, the Executive has made £20 million available over the next three years to put in place a network of community wardens, one of whose tasks will be to combat littering.

  The report on the current review of litter legislation was submitted to the Scottish Executive in December 2002 by Environmental Resources Management and will be published when the recommendations have been fully considered. The report was somewhat delayed from initial plans, in order to take account of comments from the advisory group, which included representatives from local government, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Water Safety

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that public buildings comply with the standard set for lead in the EC drinking water directive by December 2003.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is, at present, developing draft Water Supplies (Water Quality in Public Buildings) (Scotland) Regulations. These regulations will set standards for drinking water quality in line with EC Directive 98/83/EC, including lead.

Youth Crime

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency on the implementation of the 10-point action plan arising from Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has implemented in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency to tackle youth crime and what funding it has allocated for such policies.

Cathy Jamieson: Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire Councils received around £175,000 and £422,000 respectively for investment in youth justice this year. Of this, £111,092 for Argyll and Bute and £236,444 for West Dunbartonshire is new money made available by the Executive following the publication of the action plan. The Executive published a report in September 2002 of a local authority youth justice mapping exercise which contains information about initiatives in Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire using these funds. The report is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24541).

  West Dunbartonshire will also benefit between now and 2005 from two projects to be run by Includem, funded by the Youth Crime Prevention Fund: £165,400 to the West Home Team to provide advice and support to parents and families of those at risk of offending; and £139,700 for the Relapse Project which offers support and supervision to persistent young offenders to ease their transition back into the community. These projects and the national initiatives we are taking forward under the action plan will support local implementation.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliament Website

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind): To ask the Presiding Officer how many hits there have been on each of the Parliament’s interactive discussion boards on the internet.

Sir David Steel: Since February 2002 in total 994,015 hits have been recorded on the parliament’s interactive forum web pages. Statistics on the number of hits, broken down by individual interactive forum, are not, however, available

  "Hits" measure the volume of data downloaded from a website, and is only one way of measuring web centred activity. Another is to measure the number of individual visitors and here statistics are available which break down activity by discussion forum.

  In total 9,972 people have visited the Scottish Parliament interactive discussion forum since February 2002. In terms of individual forum, this total breaks down as follows.

  Aberdeen Forums: 628 (6.3%)

  Children’s Hospice: 235 (2.37%)

  Democracy Online: 920 (9.23%)

  Europe: 245 (2.46%)

  International Women’s Day: 898 (9%)

  Hamish Henderson: 631 (6.33%)

  Scottish Education: 827 (8.29%)

  Post Office: 536 (5.37%)

  Future of Europe: 347 (3.48%)

  Middle East: 853 (8.55%)

  Chronic Pain: 3,327 (33.36%)

  Value Nurses: 635 (6.37%)

Parliamentary Staff

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Presiding Officer how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body agrees pay structures for Parliament employees and what action has been taken to determine whether the lowest rate of pay for employees is adequate.

Sir David Steel: Following a Grading, Structure, Efficiency and Pay Review and with the agreement of the Parliamentary Staff Trades Union Side, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) introduced a new pay and grading structure for parliamentary staff from 1 April 2002. The salary scales introduced under the new structure were determined by reference to various salary surveys covering both private and public sector organisations. The SPCB salary scales are in line with the surveyed market median, making the SPCB a "median employer".

  The lowest rate of pay for an SPCB employee is £12,000 per annum. Compared to the minimum wage of £4.20 per hour our minimum salary is nearly 50% higher than the minimum wage. Since the SPCB offers salaries in line with the surveyed market median, the lowest salary offered compares favourably with those organisations whose salaries are aligned with the surveyed lower quartile.